Rethinking digital literary sphere : Internet platforms and Chinese online writing and reading

Chinese digital publishing unlocks creative potential on a population-wide basis. Over 5 million people write actively as registered online writers in literature platforms and 300 million people read digitally only. Internet platforms have replaced traditional publishers and become key intermediaries for public writing and reading, which also integrate with broad digital ecosystems led by Internet giants Baidu, Alibaba and Tencent. Through qualitative research of Chinese online writers and readers, this paper explores the new features of digital publishing platforms and discusses how the emerging models are shaping the ways Chinese people engage with literature. It argues that, while platforms provide an open, connected and inclusive space for writers and readers, they are criticised for commercial exploitation of users’ creative labour and usage data and incorporating digital censorship. It concludes by critically rethinking the independence of Chinese literature in the digital literary sphere mediated by large Internet platforms